EDUCATION bosses have welcomed new proposals to scrap GCSE and A-level exams.

A new report released today following a government investigation into standards in school recommended fewer exams and a new top grade at A-level.

And it presses for the introduction of a diploma to replace GCSE and A-levels within a decade.

Former chief schools inspector Mike Tomlinson, who led the investigation, said pupils and teachers' workloads have to be reduced.

And he warned that unless the current secondary education system received a massive shake-up, literacy and numeracy would suffer.

The report calls for qualifications including GCSEs and A-levels to become part of a single framework, known as the diploma.

Mr Tomlinson stressed that the diploma would be less restrictive in terms of subject choice than the European Baccalaureate-style qualifications on which it was partly modelled.

Cllr Paul Clein, executive member for lifelong learning and education, said: "Anything which increases the range of options for young people and provides a more flexible system obviously merits a closer look.

Ruth Knox, secretary of Liverpool NUT, said: "The report does seem to contain some good points.

"But the main problem is that there have been a lot of changes to the education system in recent years. One initiative after another has been introduced.

"It's unfair to the teachers and children and any change as a result of this report needs to be introduced gradually and carefully."

Mr Tomlinson said poor literacy and numeracy were problems even among the most able students.

He said he was "quite convinced" that GCSEs in maths and English language should not be seen as substitutes for basic numeracy and literacy. The final report is due this summer.